


I Promise

by Diggy



Category: Dragon Quest Builders (Video Games)
Genre: Comfort, Companionship, F/M, Friendship, Healing, Hurt, Post Epilogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-16 13:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20822882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diggy/pseuds/Diggy
Summary: They survived.They were safe. But at what cost? Even after all was said and done at their home Island saved from oblivion...things remained unsaid and unprocessed. It left them raw to their own thoughts and own hearts and the fear of what had passed still fresh in their conscience.It would prove to have the greatest effect on their first night back.





	I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Diggy does not own the rights or royalties to any recognizable characters or story elements. All characters are presumed over the age of 18 years or older in every work of fanfiction wether mentioned in story or not.
> 
> [Female builder = Elise]

Elise’s breath was hard and her chest was aflame and it felt as if every joint and muscle in her body were ignited in an acid burning.

_ But she was alive. _

And so was Malroth. His eyes met with hers and his breathing was haggard and harsh but she watched the heavy rise and fall of his chest and realized what a miraculous sight it was because _ they were alive. _

The reflection was quickly pulled away however because then Lulu had pulled them along and soon the entire island was alight with excitement and celebration because everyone existed and their home was real, and it was all thanks to the builder and her destructive friend that only ever built two things in his life, one of which was the existence of their island.

And it all passed in a blur and muffled sounds because Elise was as tired as she was thankful and at some point in a wake cycle humans lack the capability to process new information but she refused to live down the festivities.

Until finally it was night and she’d trudged her way to the door of her room, lifted her iron-weight hand to the door handle...and hesitated.

“Elise.” 

She faintly registered the sound but she didn’t really need to _ hear it _ to recognize the source. Malroth had heavy circles under his eyes and lacked that certain polish his exuding self confidence usually seemed to coat him in. 

His eyes seemed to be asking her something but his mouth couldn’t form it into words. He simply stared at her, one hand on his own door, looking as if his body could collapse in on itself from all the exhaustion.

He only finally spoke after she’d been watching him for what felt like an eternity. “Thank you,” and with that he opened his door and vanished as it closed behind him.

Elise stood in her spot for a while processing the odd exchange. _ Thank you? _ Of all the words to say, they seemed the most benign. They’d said a lot more even in the heat of the moment back on Mahala. She wanted to question him. Something in her mind told her she needed to make sure _ he was alright. _ But her joints were sore and her body ached and everything was spinning as she burned that last tendrils of steam she had left. So Elise opened her own door, kicked off her boots and pulled off her gloves and without so much as undressing collapsed onto her small bed and let the world go black around her.

* * *

She awoke what felt like immediately afterward to the sound of a door opening. Elise’s eyes snapped open and her entire body froze. She felt her heart thunder and her body go cold with an icy chill and dilapitating fear as she listened.

A quiet footstep…

Then another…

And another… 

Elise prepared herself to jump, attack, or in any way or shape fight off whatever monster had made it inside her room.

Instead the body stopped at her bed, paused, then lowered itself to the floor beside her. Elise listened carefully to the creaks of the floor boards as a heavy body laid down on the floor and then went quite. 

She didn’t move for some time and nor did the uninvited presence. The more time that passed, however, the more Elise began to realize the presence was not dangerous.

_ Malroth? _ The thought drifted to her like a voice in her head. _ Was it? _

“Malroth?” Her voice was minuscule in the darkness of the room but the body was very clearly awake because it moved immediately upon hearing the sound.

“Sorry,” Malroth’s hushed tones rushed out in a string of quiet apologies. Elise’s head spun. “I didn’t mean to wake you…” he seemed to sit up but then went still. Elise listened to the sound of his breathing and almost imagined him opening his mouth as if to speak but failed to find words.

She moved finally, turning over in her bed to face the bedroom and her friend. Elise could barely make out the outline of his hair against the faint glow coming from her window but she could feel his warmth nearby and hear his breath.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated again. His shoulder bumped against her bed frame with a dull thump and he stood to his feet ready to make an escape.

Elise reaches a hand out just as he readied to pass her, grabbing his arm and making him stop.

He was warm to the touch but something felt off. He didn’t make any move towards the door but didn’t face her either. Elise’s eyes were slowly adjusting and the more she stared out the more detail she could grasp of his shoulder and back and the tension he held in them.

She made the decision without even thinking of it.

“Come here,” she tugged his arm gently and Malroth moved slowly in her direction. He stepped towards her bed again this time staying on his feet and looking down at her.

Even in the dark she could tell he hadn’t slept any at all and she wondered not for the first time what toll the events of Malhalla had on him.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” his whisper was rough and coarse. “I just…” he searched for words. “I just needed to make sure you were safe.”

_ Safe? _

She blinked and something warm kindled in her chest and swelled in her eyes without any rhyme or reason Elise felt her eyes prickle and something strange and uncalled for all burst in chest at once and flood her body with strange relief and pain all simultaneously.

She breathed in a watery half gasp and Malroth went more rigid. “I’m sorry!” His voice was more frantic.

Elise pulled him again now realizing she needed him just as much and he needed her and Malroth resisted at first but after another quiet sob and gasp of pain he caved in and crawled into bed with her.

The tiny bed complained with creaks and threats under the new weight but Malroth lay down beside her with an arm snaking under her pillow and his back to the dark room. 

Elise pulled him close and clung to his back so tightly she felt her fingers go numb from desperately trying to hold him as close as possible. And there she let herself cry. 

Elise pressed her face into his chest and what she only assumed was the white shirt he sometimes wore to bed when it was cold and let her body finally process all the darkness that had plagued her until there was little else left. Malroth didn’t speak and neither did she but even after all the wet tears were shed and her sense calmed enough to think of anything else she could sense a different peace in Malroth’s body.

His breathing was even and steady and she could hear his heart thumping softly in his chest as if it were trying to lull her to sleep.

“Don’t leave me again, please.” Her voice was tiny and faint as she felt her exhaustion finally return and take claim of her body.

Malroth pulled her closer with one heavy arm around her back and his breath against the crown of her head.

“I promise.”

And he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter via @Lizzir for updates and teasers to new and future fics. (Plus a lot of other stuff.)
> 
> How did I do? If you enjoyed this short little fic, please let me know! What did you like? What would you like more of? What was your favorite part? Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated and excellent fuel for future works.


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